Artificial limbs



Jan. 27, 1959 s. VASQUEZ 2,870,453

ARTIFICIAL L'IMBS Filed May les, 1955 v 2 sheets-sheet 1 Z7 I l5 76 Z7 /5 /i I' 5 /I V Z4 Z6 "gg Mm I J5 'Av 7.1 g77 'I' 7 n b r 75 l i ,47 I 410 BM 75 .v I #27 `45 74 g4 `56 `"50 L 73 7 .Z4 'u 5g 57 f3 47,4[1 n o l I 70 35 z f f 40 45 I ff I 55 541 52 Za J9- 5550 4 if i 57 a Z /;g 56 54 2f l? 7g JNVENTOR.

. Sol-ANOR VASQUEZ WW S. VASQUEZ ARTIFICIAL LIMBS Jan. 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1955 INVENTOR. SOFANOR VASQUEZ United States Patent ARTIFICIAL LIMBS Sofanor Vasquez, Barranquilla, Colombia Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,726y 2 Claims. (Cl. 3-26) and useful improvements ing latch to lock the thigh and calf members in axial alignment and foot operable means to operate the latch by normal foot movements.

Still further, the present invention proposes constructing the artifical leg with a resilient spring normally biasing the calf member laround the foot member, said spring being disposed in the leg so as automatically to be counteracted by movement of the toe portion of the foot.

Another object of the present invention proposes forming the artifcal leg with a manually operable latch release for pivoting of the leg members without using the foot operable latch releasing means.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be hadto the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an artical leg constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is la View similar to Fig. l but showing the leg parts in a walking position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Fig. l but illustrating a modification of the present invention.

The artificial leg, in accordance with the first form of the invention illustrated in Figs. l and 2, is designated generally by the reference numeral 15.

Artificial leg 15 has an upper thigh member 16, a lower foot member 17 and an intermediate calf member 18.

Foot member 17 has a toe portion 19 `and a heel por7 tion 20. Foot member 17 also has a socket portion 21 and the lower end 22 of the calf member 18 is pivotally mounted in this socket portion 21 of the foot member 17 between the toe and heel portions by a pivot pin 23.

Calf member 18 has an upper end 24 with =a socket portion 25 into which the lower end 26 of upper thigh member 16 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 27. The adjacent socket portions 25 and 28 of the calf and thigh members respectively and the stop edges 29 on the calf member 18 limit the degree of pivoting of the calf member on the thigh member.

Likewise, the socket portion 2,1 on the foot member drawings forming la material part and socket portion or lower end 22 of the calf member 18 limit the degree of pivoting'of the foot and calf members.

Calf member 18 has a central axial chamber 30 extending the length of the calf member, the lower portion 31 of the chamber being restricted to a bar or rod opening containing a bearing or sleeve 32.

Mounting brackets 33, 34 and 35 are mounted in the axial chamber 30 fixed to the walls of the chamber in spaced relation, the bracket 33 being mounted on the rear wall 36 and the brackets 34 and 35 being mounted on the front wall 37.

A latch bar 38 is vertically and slidably mounted in the bracket 33 for latching engagement with the Wall of' a socket opening 39 of a latch plate 39 fixed to` the lower end of the upper thigh member. The latch plate 39 and latch bar 38 are mounted so as to be in latching alignment when the thigh and calf members are axially aligned. t

A lever 40 is centrally fulcrumed on pivot pin 4l in the central axial chamber of the calf member extending across the chamber. One end 42 of lever if? has a slotted opening 43 and is pivotally secured by a pin 44 to the lower end 45 of tne latch bar 38, pin 44 extending through the slotted opening 43 for slidable movement.

Lever 4l) has another end 46 which is connected by a pivot pin 47 to the upper end 48 of a connecting arm 49.

Connecting arm 49 is one of a pair of connecting arms 49 and 59 vertically mounted adjacent the front wall of the axial chamber in the calf member, and arm 49 is slidably mounted in brackets 34 and 35.

The lower end 5l of arm 49 is pivotally connected to the upper vend 52 of arm 50 by a pivot pin 53. Arm 55B extends slidably through the bearing or sleeve 32 in the lower end of the axial chamber of the calf member and into the socket portion of the foot member. The arm has a lower end 54 connected by a hinge pin 55 with a push block 56.

Push block 56 has a slot opening 57 through which pivot or hinge pin 55 slidably and pivotally extends. Push block 56 is disposed in the socket portion of the foot member and adjacent 4to and adapted to rest and bear upon a bearing plate 58 fixed to thefoot member in the Itoe portion thereof in front of the fulcrum or pivot pin 23 connecting the calf and foot members.

A compression spring 60 is mounted in and between the heel portion 20 of foot member 17 and the calf member 18 in spring recesses 61 and 62 Iof the foot and calf members respectively. Bearing plates 63 and 64 are mounted in the spring recesses 61 and 62, respectively.

Spring 60 normally urges or biases the foot and callc members apart at the heel portion of the foot and back of the calf member so as to pivot the calf member on pivot pin 23.

The operation of the artificial leg 15 is as follows. When the wearer is standing upon the leg or whenever the leg is hanging vertically with all members (16, 17 and 18) in axial alignment, the latch bar is engaged in socket 39 and is held in such engagement by Ithe linkage arms connected thereto.

When the wearer of the leg begins to walk on it, he presses down upon the toe of the foot portion which releases the latch bar and permits the calf member to pivot on pivot pin 27 connecting it to the thigh member. The natural movement of the leg swinging back reengages the latch bar at the proper time so that theleg is ready for the weight of the wearer again to be supported on it.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 is characterized by the provision of an artificial leg constructed generally the same as leg 15 and with similar parts given the same reference numerals but primed Patented Jan. 27, 1959 aardgas in Fig. 3 to distinguish the figures. ln addition, however, leg lil has a. latch releasing lever 7l slidably mounted in bracket 72 in the thigh member i6. The lower end 73 of the latch releasing lever 71 is disposed adjacent the latch bar 33 for pushing the latch bar from the latch plate A pair of springs 74- normally bias the latch releasing lever il from the latch bar 33' and a stop ring 75 keeps the lower end '73 of the lever "il against the latch bar rThe upper end 76 of the latch release lever 7i extends from the upper end of the thigh member le' for hand operation.

While l have ilustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that l do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modi'lieatiws may be made within the scope of the invention as d the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. An artificial limb comprising an upper thigh member, a lower foot member with heel and toe portions, and an intermediate calf member having one end pivotally connected with the upper thigh member and one end pivotally connected with the lower foot member between the heel and toe portions, calf member having a centrai axial chamber, coacting calf and thigh member latch mounted in the calf and thigh members to hold said members in fixed axial alignment, foot operable latch operating means in the calf and foot members to release and reset said latch means, connecting linkage lever means in the central axial chamber of the calf member operatively connecting said foot operable latch operating means and said latch means, said latch means being a latch bar slidably mounted in the calf member and a latch plate xed to the upper thigh member, said foot operable latch operating means being a push block and a bearing plate, said bearing plate being mounted in the lower foot member, said connecting linkage lever means being a lever centrally fulcrumed in the central axial chamber of the calf member, said lever having two ends one of which being pivotally and slidably connected to the latch bar, and a pair of connecting arms slidably mounted in the central axial chamber of the calf member and pivotally connected together and pivotally connected to the other end of said lever and to said push block, said lever end pivotally connected to the latch bar having a slot opening therein and a pivot pin slidably extending through said slot opening and fixed to said latch bar, said push block having a slot opening therein and a pivot pin extending through said slot opening in the push block and secured to one of the connecting arms, and resilient comd pression spring means mounted in and between said heel portion of the foot member and said calf member normally biasing said calf member around its pivotal connection with said foot member.

2. An artificial limb comprising an upper thigh member, a lower foot member with heel and toe portions, and an intermediate calf member having one end pivotally connected with the upper thigh member and one end pivotally connected with the lower foot member between the heel and toe portions, said calf member having a central axial chamber, coacting calf and thigh member latch means mounted in the calf and thigh members to hold said members in xed axial alignment, foot operable latc operating means in the calf and foot members to release and reset said latch means, connecting linkage lever means in the central axial chamber of the calf member operatively connecting said foot operable latch operating means and said latch means, said latch means being a latch bar slidably mounted in the calf member and a latch plate fixed to the upper thigh member, said foot oper-able latch operating means being push block and a bearing plate, said bearing plate being mounted in the lower foot member, said connecting linkage lever means being a lever centrally fulcrumed in the central axial chamber of the calf member, said lever having two ends one of which being pivotally and slidably connected to the latch bar, and a pair of connecting arms slidably mounted inthe central axial chamber of the calf member and pivotally connected together and pivotally connected to the other end of said lever and to said push block, said lever end pivotally connected to the latch bar having an elongated slot opening therein and a pivot pin slidably extending through said slot opening and ixed to said latch bar, said push block having an elongated slot opening therein and a pivot pin extending through said slot opening in the push block and secured to one of the connecting arms, and resilient compression spring means mounted in and between said heel portion of the foot member and said calf member normally biasing said calf member around its pivotal connection with said foot member, and latch releasing means mounted in the thigh member manually to release said latch bar from the latch plate.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 21,289 Wilcox Aug. 24, 1858 FOREIGN PATENTS 305,433 Germany May 7, 1918 140,660 Great Britain Apr. l, 1920 921,108 France Ian. 10, 1947 

